


Angel in the Attic

by Straya



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/M, Valentine's Day Fluff, a bit of angst, recollections of character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29636403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straya/pseuds/Straya
Summary: Six months ago, Brad and his adopted daughter Rose moved into a two-story house in a nice neighborhood. Things seem to be going well enough – Rose is doing decently at school, work has been productive for Brad, they're getting along with their neighbors. ...except that every once in a while, there are strange noises in various places around the house, especially in the attic.Then, on Valentine's Day, Rose comes home from school to see the face of a strange boy through the attic window.As it turns out, there's some grim history regarding the previous owners of the house. But what does that have to do with the mysterious boy in the attic...?
Relationships: Dezel/Rose (Tales of Zestiria)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Angel in the Attic

**Author's Note:**

> So this story is rather late in terms of being finished and posted. Though I started writing a week before Valentine's Day, I unfortunately ran into some issues with time, energy, and focus leading up to the actual day, no thanks to the bad winter storm that swept through starting that weekend. But better late than never, right?
> 
> (Note: Made a very minor edit to the start of the story a couple days after posting; there was one detail I wasn't satisfied with and came up with something else to replace it with.)

Rose stepped off the bus and onto the sidewalk, piling off the school bus with a small handful of other children roughly her age. It was a chilly afternoon on the day before the weekend, so there was a little extra spring in her step as she disembarked. That she was also toting a little cardboard mailbox she made at school full of Valentine's Day cards from her classmates only added to her good mood, especially since a few of those cute little cards had come with candy attached.

It was Rose's second month of being able to ride the bus and go to her house by herself, using a front door key that her adoptive father Brad had given her. She was ten years old now, old enough to be on her own for a few hours before Brad came home from work. Before that, she had been getting off at the same stop as her friends Felice and Talfryn, the three of them going to the Ayn house so the siblings' mother could keep an eye on them all until Brad came to pick Rose up later in the evening. Rose would miss having that extra social time with her friends, as well as getting to do their homework together, but she enjoyed the notion that she was now grown up enough to go home on her own.

Or mostly, anyway. Brad had asked their elderly neighbor Mayvin to check in on Rose once in a while. Additionally, he had told his daughter to go straight over to the old man's house if there was ever trouble at home. But so far, in the month or so that Rose had been a latch-key kid, she'd had almost no trouble at all and she hoped to keep it that way. She would go home, have a snack, make a sort-of attempt at doing her homework, and then either watch something or play video games until 5:30 pm, which was just before her father came home. Then she would scramble back to the kitchen table and her homework to at least look as though she had been diligently studying.

Today, however, would be a little different.

As Rose reached the driveway of her home, she happened to glance up the two-story structure to the little round attic window set over the larger rectangular one that let light into her bedroom. Normally, the attic window was covered from the inside with an old curtain, but not today. No, instead it was drawn back a bit to make room for what looked like the face of a boy with shaggy green hair. He was only there for a brief moment, ducking out of sight seemingly as soon as he realized he'd been spotted.

A jolt of fear and panic ran up Rose's spine and then dipped down to settle in her stomach like a rock. _Someone had broken into the house._ Or, potentially even worse than that in Rose's mind, the house was haunted. She and Brad had definitely heard some knocking about on and off within the house since they'd moved in about six months prior. 

Breaking away from her current path to the front door, Rose ran to the house next door to the right – Marvin's smaller one-story home. It was a cozy place Rose had been inside many times before, filled with antique furniture and all sorts of interesting knick-knacks, old books, and various souvenirs that the old man had collected in his youth during his travels. And though he would take an extended vacation once in a while these days, more often than not he was home while studying archeology articles online or reading scientific journals. Such was the case when Rose reached his front door and knocked frantically on it with the brass knocker in the shape of some strange ancient symbol. (A glyph that Mayvin claimed helped keep nefarious forces from entering his home.)

After a few breathless moments, the door swung open to reveal the kindly, but mildly surprised face of Mayvin on the other side. He was dressed for comfort in a pair of dark slacks and a light blue sweater, his feet clad in a pair of plush slippers and his silver wire-rim reading glasses still perched on his nose. He blinked at Rose and the frightened expression she wore beneath her disheveled auburn bangs, gaze only drifting to the cardboard box in her hands briefly before he finally said something.

"Rose? Are you alright? Did something happen at–"

"There's someone in our attic!" Rose blurted out before Mayvin could finish. "I saw him in the attic window when I was walking up to the house! A boy with weird hair!"

"The attic window? Odd place for a potential burglar to be," Mayvin mused as he frowned and glanced in the direction of Rose's house. "Perhaps it was just your imagination?"

Rose shook her head, her panic giving way to some mild frustration. "It totally wasn't! I know what I saw, okay? Can you just come over and check the house to make sure there isn't a robber in there? Or even worse, a ghost!"

"Alright, missy, I'll check. Just give an old man a moment to change out of his slippers."

As Mayvin turned away, Rose peered into the entryway after him. "Do you have a bat you could bring? Maybe we should call the police!"

“I’ve got my phone with me! We’ll make that call if we need to once I’ve had a look ‘round the outside of the house,” Mayvin called back. A few moments later, he shuffled back to the front door with a proper set of shoes on, his pipe in one hand and his phone in the other, which he waved at Rose as if to ease her anxiety before pocketing it. “Should be signs of a break-in somewhere if there is an intruder inside.”

Well, Rose supposed, that made sense. Still, that did nothing to alleviate her anxiety as Mayvin shut his front door and made his way to the next yard over. Rose trotted after him, clutching her little mailbox tighter while stealing glances at the attic window, which thankfully remained empty save for the curtain behind the thick glass.

"Wait out by the front fence gate," Mayvin instructed before heading for the front porch. "I'm going to start with the front door and then head around back."

While Rose occasionally found orders from adults difficult to follow if just because she was a little headstrong and overly curious, this was one instance where she did not question what she was told. She watched in silence while Mayvin examined the front door and, after apparently finding nothing amiss, headed around one side of the house. Once he vanished from view and his footsteps were no longer audible over the gravel, the worst of the waiting game began. Or so Rose thought until her neighbor found nothing out of the ordinary in his perimeter check and returned for her front door key.

“I don’t see anything to indicate a break-in,” Mayvin reported upon his return, one hand held out for the door key. “No locks forced open or windows broken. Still, I think it best I have a look around the inside.”

“Okay,” Rose answered as she put her house key in his hand, the dull copper sheen of it offset by the brighter red length of leather string she kept it on so she could wear it around her neck and keep it close. “But if it turns out my house is haunted, I’m staying with you until my dad gets back!”

"Alright, I think that’s fair. Just give me a few minutes to do a full sweep from top to bottom, indoors.” Turning away, Mayvin walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped inside.

Unable to help herself at that point, far too anxious to simply hang back, Rose hesitantly padded up to the open door and cautiously peered inside. She could hear Mayvin in the living room, then the dining room. He then made his way into the kitchen where he opened the big pantry and peered inside of it, the dull sound of the door being shut reaching Rose where she waited by the threshold. As the old man made his way to the stairs and ascended to the second story, Rose ducked back a bit. Part of her wanted to at least go far enough in to wait at the foot of the stairs, but even her stubborn streak couldn’t quite overcome the fact that her hands were trembling as she clutched her little cardboard mailbox to her chest.

There were a few creaks from the direction of the ceiling as Mayvin made his way about the second floor of the house, checking the bedrooms and their closets, plus the bathrooms. Then came the muffled sound of Mayvin ascending the narrow stairwell that led to the attic. Rose moved back and away from the door, knowing that her neighbor was finally going to be up near the window where she saw the boy earlier. Surely he would find something there; she knew she had seen _something!_

Though that also meant the possibility of a commotion. Of something bad happening. As her mind raced with possibilities, most of them terrible, Rose pulled even further back from the threshold. Her middle felt heavy, as though it contained a handful of stones. She hadn’t felt that way in a long while, not since her very first day of school.

The imaginary stones in her stomach shifted as she realized Mayvin was speaking upstairs. It sounded like he was calling to someone. To her? She didn’t think so. She hoped not, anyway. Silence fell for a moment, then Mayvin was calling out again. When quiet settled over the house for a second time, the seconds stretching into a few minutes of deep discomfort, it was almost enough to make Rose enter the house.

But then Mayvin was thumping down the stairs, pipe in one hand, unharmed and with something of a thoughtful expression on his face. Rose opened the door further and stepped inside, unable to wait for the old man to offer up an explanation on his own.

“Are you okay? What happened up there? Did you find anyone in the attic?” The questions tumbled forth in a rush of anxiety, Rose’s blue eyes wide as she met Mayvin in the entryway.

“I’m fine, missy, no need to worry about me,” Mayvin replied, using his free hand to pat her on the shoulder briefly. “And it looks like the house is fine, as well, though the attic window was open a bit. No burglars to be found.”

“But you were talking to someone up in the attic, weren’t you?”

“Oh, was I?”

Rose blinked up at Mayvin in confusion. Surely he realized he could be heard downstairs, especially  
with the attic door open and the ladder down. “Yeah, I heard you call out twice. Did anyone or anything answer you?”

Mayvin rubbed his chin with his free hand, choosing not to respond immediately. When he finally did speak, it was prefaced with a contemplative hum. “Rose, before I answer your question, I have an inquiry for you. You said you saw a boy at the attic window, yes? Could you tell if he looked familiar at all?”

“I...don’t think so? Pretty sure I’ve never seen him before.” A pause as panic suddenly welled up. “Wait, you didn’t find a photo of that boy in the attic did you? Is he the ghost of some other kid who died in this house before we moved in?!”

“Oh, nothing like that! I just wondered if that was the first time you’d seen him.”

“Does it help to know that Dad and I have heard weird noises around the house before? I wouldn’t be paranoid about a dead kid haunting the attic for no reason, you know!”

“Hmm, yes and no.” Mayvin stroked his gray goatee and glanced back up the stairs briefly before seeming to come to a decision. Walking over to the front door, he shut it completely to keep the cold air from getting inside. “Rose, are you familiar with the legend of the seraphim?”

“Seraphim? Sorta kinda. Dad’s a little superstitious, so he’s mentioned seraphim before. And my history teacher at school says people used to worship them a long time ago. Why…?”

“I happen to be a life-long believer in the seraphim. My family was one for old religions, you see.”

“Okay…” Rose wasn’t sure where her neighbor was going with this, but she wasn’t entirely sure she liked it, either. “So what do seraphim have to do with the boy I saw by the attic window?”

“Well, have you considered the possibility that it may not be a ghost you have in your house, but a seraph?”

Rose felt her insides clench up, the not-actually-there rocks in her stomach lurching a bit. “N-no, why would I? And why would a seraph be in the attic?”

Mayvin took a seat on the stairs, apparently deciding to rest his old bones while conversation allowed for it. Or so Rose imagined, anyway, even though the old man was still fairly spry for his age and of stout stature. “Tell me, Rose, did anyone tell you or your father about the family that lived in this house before you?”

Oh _no._ So that's how all this was going to translate into something of a horror story. Still, though Rose’s over-active imagination was already running wild with unpleasant possibilities, she managed to put a lid on them long enough to at least answer the question. “Not really? I only really remember Dad saying the house had been up for sale for a long time. No one seemed to want it until we came along.”

“I see. Well, it used to be that a family of five lived in this house, hence the three regular bedrooms and the conversion of the attic into a fourth bedroom. It was a couple with three children, the youngest who was a boy about your age or so. He was the one who lived up in the attic.”

“I thought you said this wasn’t a ghost story!”

“It isn’t, missy. I doubt the boy you saw by the window is the same one who used to live here, though he did pass away before the house was put up for sale. The whole family did, unfortunately.”

Rose stared at Mayvin. This story had suddenly taken a morbid turn. “What do you mean? How did they all die?”

“An accident during a trip out of town, as I understand it,” the old man went on with a shake of his head and a sigh. “A tragic, upsetting occurrence. After that happened, a relative of theirs arranged to sell the house, but as you said before, no one seemed to want it. There were rumors it was haunted but of course, no real estate agent would ever bring that up to potential buyers in detail. Only that the previous owners had passed away suddenly.”

Frustration and fright were both suddenly creeping in again, leaving Rose to stomp one pink sneaker-covered foot against the floor, her cheeks puffed up. “You keep saying this isn’t about ghosts, but how can it not be after a story like that?!”

“Well, you’ll have to let me finish! You see, the family that lived here was quite religious in the old ways, much like myself. They believed in the seraphim and taught their children how to pray to them and leave offerings for them. And there are old tales of groups of humans who had patron seraphim, protectors who would keep them from harm. Thus, I think it possible that the folks who lived here may have left behind a seraph. Possibly one that did not know where to go after his family died.”

All things considered, Rose wasn’t so sure that a seraph living in the attic was a whole lot better than a ghost. Both were still spirits of some kind, right? Though supposedly the seraphim were supposed to be good while ghosts were usually bad on some level. Still, even if seraphim were real and there was one in the attic, he must be upset that his family was no longer around. Maybe that’s why he would knock about sometimes and make noise? Maybe it was why he scared all the other potential home buyers away; he didn’t want some new family moving in to replace the one he used to look after. Did that mean he wanted Rose and her father to leave…?

“So...what should we do? What should I do? Do you think the seraph wants us to leave?” Rose finally asked after a long moment of worried silence.

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s the case. You said he looked like a boy, yes? It could be that he needs a new purpose. New humans to look after. Ones who will acknowledge his existence by leaving him offerings once in a while, as well as kind words of prayer to strengthen his ability to bring good fortune. As is, it’s quite rare for us humans to be able to perceive seraphim at all, so that you may have seen him is quite remarkable and may help you determine what it is that he wants,” Mayvin explained as he rose to his feet with a grunt. “But unless you purposely do something to anger him, I doubt you and your father have much to worry about.”

“Okay, but what about the family who died? Did you know them well? What did they leave for offerings?” Rose pressed as her neighbor began to make his way to the front door. “I’ve never done anything like this before!”

“They were good and thoughtful neighbors, even friends to a degree, but I’ve not got it in me right now to tell you all about them,” Mayvin said as he set a hand on the front door handle. “But I do know that the children who lived here, particularly the youngest one, would leave food as offerings.”

“Do you think that youngest kid could see the seraph, too? Maybe that’s why the seraph’s been hiding in his old bedroom in the attic?”

“It’s not impossible, but we’ll speak more about this tomorrow. You need to focus on your homework before your father gets home and I need to get dinner started for the evening. Call me if any problems come up.”

Rose wilted as the door shut behind Mayvin, muttering something to herself that everything about what just happened felt like a problem and that not much about it had been fixed. Still, Mayvin was a good man and he always seemed like he knew more than just about anyone else Rose had ever met, her father included, so perhaps she was worrying a little too much. Then again, if Mayvin was right, that also meant there was an upset spirit knocking around inside the house somewhere. That Rose was now alone inside with said spirit and that it would still be another couple of hours before Brad came home left Rose shivering in uncertainty.

Well, wait a minute, though. She was supposed to be grown up now, right? Enough that Brad trusted her to come home alone and be by herself for a while. She could handle this, right? Of course she could. And it wasn’t like Mayvin left her without any clue as to what to do and even then, there had to be ideas on the internet.

Entering the kitchen, Rose left her backpack in one chair and her Valentine’s Day mailbox on the dinette table before removing her shoes and placing them near the front door. After retrieving her tablet from the living room, she sat down at the table and pecked at the touch screen keys with a browser open, doing a search for “seraphim.” Or, well, more like “serafim” but fortunately the search function offered her the correct spelling quickly enough to make her online digging more fruitful. A wealth of information popped up immediately, so much that it was overwhelming at first, but Rose had learned a while back how to narrow a search down better to locate the information she wanted. Whether she would understand what she found was another matter but one thing at a time, right?

There was a lot of information about old churches and shrines, some of which had been either memorialized within busy city areas or left to disrepair in the more rural parts. It seemed to depend on how large the structures were and if people still used them or not. The overall worship of seraphim didn’t seem to be nearly as popular as it used to be, which is probably why Mayvin called it an “old religion”, though the how or why that had fallen somewhat out of practice was something Rose didn’t bother looking into much. No, the main thing she needed to know was how to deal with having a seraph in her attic, though typing in “seraph in house” didn’t reveal much except a bunch of forum threads and blog posts about people claiming they were either being blessed or haunted by something they couldn’t see, but was possibly just pests like mice or their own pets causing trouble.

Then, as though on cue, just as Rose closed out one link on whether someone had either rodents or spirits in their house, there was a muffled thump from somewhere upstairs. It sounded like something had fallen off a shelf. Or maybe a light piece of furniture had gotten knocked over? Rose didn't leave her chair to investigate immediately, however, in part because she was a little too scared to try.

She was not, however, too afraid to call out in a shaky show of bravado.

“I... I hear you up there, you know! I saw you at the attic window, earlier!”

Silence for a moment. Then a second thump. Then the sound of something bumping down the stairs. 

Getting up from her chair, Rose peered out from around the kitchen door frame to see a green rubber ball rolling away from the foot of the stairs. That must have been what was causing the noise. She edged around the doorway cautiously, picking up the ball and examining it before glancing back up the stairway.

“Hey, I have your ball! Do you want it back?”

She waited for a response of some kind, perhaps another muffled thump from upstairs, but nothing happened. Was she expected to walk the ball back upstairs? Hmm.

Being only ten years old, Rose was certainly no expert on the behavior of other people, children included. But she was able to reason that the ball coming down the stairs might have been an indicator of something. Maybe the boy wanted to play but didn't know how to ask? Or maybe it was just a general cry for attention of some sort. It was kind of odd to her that the boy didn't just show up if he wanted something, but perhaps he was shy. Or not used to being seen by people and didn't know what to do. It then dawned upon Rose that if she returned the ball, she would somehow be giving him something. Not actually an offering, really, but still... _something._ Maybe that was it?

But what if she not only gave him the ball back but something else in addition to that? Would that make him less cranky and stop him from knocking about upstairs like that? The only problem was, what to give him? Rose still hadn't worked that out just yet. Somehow just leaving a wrapped granola bar by the closed attic door seemed a little weird. And what if the boy didn't like granola bars, then what?

It was as she glanced back through the kitchen door for ideas that Rose's gaze alighted on the cardboard mailbox on the dinette table. _Oh._ What if she left the seraph in the attic a Valentine's Day card?

The box containing the craft supplies Rose has used to make cards for all her classmates was still in the kitchen and there was still plenty of colored construction paper, glitter, and other necessities left over to make another card. Grabbing the box up, she set it on the table and slid back into her chair before taking out the package of paper, a pair of scissors, the bottle of glue, a container of red and pink glitter, and her big set of brush-tipped markers. Utilizing a pattern Brad helped her make out of cardboard a few days ago, Rose used some pink construction paper to make a heart-shaped card. She then drew two other hearts inside the larger one that made up the cover, coloring the center one red and the one outside it magenta. After writing a message inside in red marker and signing her name, Rose smeared a little clear drying glue on the outside and sprinkled the whole card in glitter.

But while a hand-made card was nice, candy always made it even better. Digging into her mailbox, Rose picked out a couple pieces of heart-shaped chocolates given to her by classmates, one of them in pink foil and the other in red. There! Putting those out with the card would make it perfect!

After gathering everything together, wayward rubber ball included, Rose carefully made her way up to the second story. When she didn't hear or see anything unusual, she then quietly climbed the stairs to the attic. The door at the top was slightly ajar, which was enough to make Rose pause just outside of it, listening hard before she eased it open and hesitantly peered into the top floor bedroom.

The converted attic area was actually quite a nice space, one that had been decorated with a young boy in mind. When Rose and Brad had moved in, it had been the one area of the house with furniture and even various personal belongings still present. Everything else in the house, including the major appliances that weren't fully installed like the dishwasher and microwave, had been removed. Not having an immediate need of the added bedroom, Brad had mostly left it as it was, save for using one section of the bedroom for miscellaneous box storage outside the garage. And while he had talked before about making the space into an office area for himself so that they could keep the third bedroom as a guest room, so far nothing had really come of that. He had been too busy with his work, running a small chain of successful stores there in town and in some of the surrounding areas. Thus the twin-sized bed with its blue quilt, the bookshelves full of books and comics, the bins of action figures and various stuffed animals scattered about had all remained. Rose had been up there a few times to look through the books and toys, but aside from taking a couple of the cuter plushies for her own bedroom, had largely left everything alone. 

Knowing that the boy who had once owned all of these things had died, however, left Rose with an uncomfortable cold feeling in her chest. It was a little eerie, imagining a boy about her age, one who was no longer alive, staying in this room at one time, assembling the model train set and miniature train station that sat on the floor near the big wooden dresser. Or reading through the stacks of comics on the bookshelves. She pressed her lips together, suddenly feeling a deep sense of sadness and regret, even though it was for a person she had never met.

“I'm sorry,” she said suddenly, even if she had no idea if the spirit was anywhere nearby. “I didn't know about the family who used to live here. And...I'm sorry they're gone. Me and my dad, we...um... We're not here to bother you. In fact, I think it'd be really cool if we could all get along here. So I brought your ball back! And something else for you, too, since my neighbor said you guys like being given things once in a while.”

Kneeling down, Rose set the ball and the card side-by-side on the rug near the door. She placed the two wrapped pieces of chocolate on top of the card, then turned to go, glancing back once before shutting the door behind her. For a few moments after, she remained on the landing, listening, half-expecting to hear footfalls from the other side of the door. But when nothing happened, she forced herself to descend, telling herself that maybe the boy was just shy and wanted to be sure she was gone before he came out of hiding.

She really was going to have to be patient, though. No going back in five minutes to check if the items she left had been taken. Even a half-hour might be too soon, which was almost unbearable to think about. At least Brad would be home shortly, so maybe his presence and telling him about all this might be enough of a distraction. But when _should_ she check back? Maybe right before bed? Or maybe she should wait until morning. That was _so far_ away, though! 

Sighing almost dramatically, Rose continued on her way back down to the first floor, making no effort to be quiet about it. At least that way the potential seraph in the attic would know she was gone.

* * *

Ultimately, Rose decided not to tell Brad about the seraph. Or what was possibly a seraph, anyway. Some part of her desperately wanted to, if just to get some further reassurance that Mayvin might be right and the attic wasn't haunted by a malevolent ghost. Or that they didn't have some weird rodent infestation and that Rose wasn't hallucinating about boys in the house windows. Yet it felt like she still needed a little more proof out of her own experiences, preferably by way of going up to the attic later and finding that the ball and gifts were gone.

Unfortunately, when she stole up to the attic shortly before bedtime, she was disappointed to find that everything was exactly where she had left it. Feeling more than a little disappointed, Rose left and returned to the second floor and her own bedroom where she flopped onto her bed with a heavy sigh. It was nearly nine o'clock and her father would be in soon to make sure she was ready to call it a night, her teeth brushed and bedclothes on. Typically bedtime during the week was more like 8pm, but leading into the weekend when sleeping in was allowed somewhat, an extra hour up wasn't that big a deal.

Once the lights had been turned out and the door shut almost all the way, Rose found that getting to sleep was almost impossible. She lay on her side in the darkened room, the only light coming through the crack in the door that led to the hall and the tiny nightlight that was plugged into an outlet near the door frame. Though while her thoughts were a whirlwind she couldn't seem to calm, the issue that kept her alert more than anything was the constant straining to _hear_ everything about her. Any little sound – from out in the hall, from the attic overhead, from the street outside her window – would cause her to tense in a sort of weird, anxious anticipation. Twice she got up to use the bathroom and twice she glanced in the direction of the attic staircase, wondering if was possible to sneak up there without her father noticing. And yet she did not make the attempt either time, figuring she would likely be caught. When the light in the hall finally went out around half-past ten, signaling that Brad was retiring to the master bedroom for the night, Rose still lay awake and listening.

Finally, around eleven o'clock, as exhaustion was finally setting in enough for Rose to begin dozing off, her bedroom door creaked slightly. The sound was enough to cause her eyelids to snap open again even as she stiffened where she lay, all senses on high alert. 

Someone or something was in the room with her. She wasn't sure how she could tell, but somehow she just _knew._

There was movement near the foot of her bed, a shadow she caught out of the corner of  
one eye. 

She screamed.

In an instant, the shadow vanished and, a moment or two later, Brad's door opened and footfalls sounded in the hallway.

“Rose, are you alright?” Brad appeared in the doorway, wearing his black bathrobe over his pajamas. He was a well-built fellow with broad shoulders and a dash of gray in his dark hair, someone with the kind of presence that might make any intruder question the worth of breaking-and-entering. Still, around those he cared for, his rugged features easily betrayed the kind of concern and care that made him a good parent and friend. Turning on the light via the switch near the door, he set his worried gaze on his adopted daughter. “Kiddo, everything okay?”

Sitting up in bed, Rose was breathing hard, glancing around in a panic before finally managing to give Brad most of her attention. After a moment, she shook her head. “I...I thought I saw a shadow moving in here!”

“A shadow? What did it look like?” Brad was already moving toward the window to be sure it was closed and locked.

“I'm not sure. It was...like a person, I guess.”

Once he was satisfied that the only window in the room was secure, Brad walked over to the closet to open it and peer inside. “Hn, well. The window is fine and I don't see anyone in here. Are you sure you weren't just having a bad dream?”

“Positive!” Feeling tears attempting to cloud her vision, Rose wiped at her eyes with one hand briefly. “You're sure there's nothing? Is...is there anything under the bed?”

Frowning, Brad shut the closet door and walked over, hesitating for just a moment before he knelt to pull the quilt and bed skirt up and out of the way. Up on the mattress, Rose waited with bated breath while he leaned further down for a better look.

“No, I don't see anything. Well, except a sock and this.” Sitting up with the sock in one hand, Brad held up a familiar-looking Valentine's Day card in the other. 

Rose felt her heart lunge up into her throat. It was the card she had left up in the attic hours earlier. Noting the startled expression on his daughter's face, Brad's frown deepened in worry. 

“Is something wrong, Rose?”

For a moment more, she couldn't find her voice. Maybe she should have told her father earlier about what Mayvin said. And about what she left up in the attic. That would make explaining all this a whole lot easier, especially since for one of the few times in her thus short life, Rose seemed to be at a loss for words.

So she simply held out one hand and, after a second or two and a confused look, Brad handed the card over to her. Opening it, Rose saw that nothing had been changed; the message she had written inside was the same with nothing added.

“Rose?” Brad was still watching her, his concern growing by the moment. “If something's wrong, you know you can talk to me about it. Even this late at night, it's fine.”

“I...” The words stuck in Rose's throat, refusing to come out. She swallowed and tried again. “I left this up in the attic in the afternoon before you got home. Old man Mayvin said we might have a seraph living up there and that's why we've been hearing weird noises sometimes, so I just thought...”

For some reason, she couldn't quite bring herself to mention seeing the boy in the attic window. Maybe because it might cause Brad to worry even more. Maybe because even as she explained herself, it all suddenly sounded so odd. Rose looked from the card in her hands to her father, expecting to see confusion or disbelief but instead, his expression seemed more...thoughtful?

“Well, I guess that might explain a few things about why this house is the way it is,” he said after a moment, one hand reaching up to stroke his mustache in thought. “I've always had something of a fanciful belief in the seraphim, that in some way they are looking out for us, but I admit I've never heard of one living in a house before.”

“Mayvin said it used to be common for seraphim to live among humans. That the family who lived here before us all died in an accident, but they all believed in the seraphim, so maybe they had one hanging around them that got left behind!”

“Mn, I did hear from the real estate agent that they'd had some sort of accident away from home...”

“Right, so I just thought that if we have a seraph in the house, probably in the attic where all that old stuff got left, maybe it would be less upset if we started being nice to it!”

“That makes sense, I suppose. If it is a seraph.” Brad didn't look wholly convinced at that point as he frowned and stood back up again. “And you think that's how the card got into your room. That the seraph brought it down here.”

Rose shrugged even as she realized that not all the pieces fit together that well. “Maybe! Though I don't know why. I guess maybe seraphim don't like Valentine's Day cards.”

“Did you leave anything else in the attic?”

“Two heart-shaped chocolates I got from my friends at school.”

“So those didn't come back, at least.” Brad rubbed the back of his neck and sighed a little, glancing from Rose to the open door of her bedroom before turning back to her again. “Well, either way, I'm not hearing or seeing anything strange in your room, kiddo. I guess if you want, I can get out a sleeping bag and camp out on your floor for the rest of the night if being in here by yourself scares you too much.”

Gaze dropping back down the card in her hands, Rose quirked her mouth in thought. If she was honest with herself, the idea of being alone in her room, especially in the dark, was not one she cared too much for at the moment. But she was supposed to be more grown-up now, right? And big girls didn't need a parent with them in the same room while they slept.

“No, I think I'll be okay,” she finally said, forcing a smile. “I just got startled before. If there is a seraph in the house, I don't think it'll hurt us. That's not what they're supposed to do after all, right?”

“True, they are supposed to be helpers. But you're sure you feel alright being in here by yourself?”

“Yeah, I'm sure.”

“Okay, then.” Brad nodded once, then leaned down to give Rose a quick second goodnight kiss on the forehead. “But I'll leave both our doors partway open so that if you need me, you can call for me and I'll hear you.”

“Alright. Thanks, Dad.”

“You're welcome. Goodnight, kiddo.”

Setting the card on her bedside table, Rose bedded down again as Brad shut off the light and took his leave, pulling the door only about halfway shut in his wake. Rose listened to him pad back down the hallway to the master bedroom, the familiar creak of the door audible as he went inside and only closed it halfway. Then the light on that end of the hall went off and the house grew quiet once more. 

Several minutes passed in which Rose lay awake, staring at the card from where she lay. Her father was probably already asleep by that point given the late hour, but after all the excitement she still couldn't quite shut down. Had she really done something wrong in leaving a card for the seraph? Had she somehow offended it and that's why her gift got brought back? And if that was the case, where did it go after it left her room? Back to the attic, maybe?

“...I'm sorry.”

The voice was a little muffled, but somewhere close by. Rose froze again where she lay, eyes wide in the dark. Slowly, she brought one hand up to cover her own mouth so she wouldn't be tempted to scream again.

“Didn't mean to scare you,” the voice went on quietly after a long pause. “And you're right, I won't hurt you. Promise.”

 _Oh._ The seraph. He was still somewhere in the room and had been the whole time. He'd caught that entire conversation Rose had with her father.

Rose took her hand from her mouth, only just barely remembering that she needed to keep her voice to a whisper before speaking. “Are...you a seraph...?"

“Yeah.”

“Where are you?”

“Under the bed.”

“But my dad... He said he didn't see anything under there.”

There was a small, soft noise. A barely-there chuckle? A snort? “He can't see me. Most humans can't.”

“But I can,” Rose breathed. She wanted to get up then, to get the little flashlight from her bedside table drawer and peer under the bed. Instead, however, she forced herself to stay still so as not to startle the seraph. “Why me but not my dad?”

“The same reason the old man next door can see me, too. Once in a while, humans are born that way. With a lot of spiritual resonance.”

Rose's breath caught. So Mayvin could see the seraph, too! That was how he knew and who he was calling to when he went up to the attic! “Can you come out so I can see you...?”

There was a little bit of shuffling from beneath the bed. Then, the same human-shaped shadow Rose had caught a glimpse of before slid out into view, though this time he was a little less shadowy thanks to Rose being able to look directly at him. ...which suddenly felt odd, given he really didn't look that much different from a human boy, save for the green color of his shaggy hair, which hid most of the upper half of his face. He was lanky and didn't look all that much older than her, maybe by just a year or two? His clothes didn't look like anything particularly special, either, just a pair of black jeans and sneakers, a green shirt, and a black jacket with a gray hood.

As she sat up in bed, staring at him, Rose suddenly remembered that the door was still partway open. She glanced at it, then eased herself out of bed, her sock-covered feet meeting the carpeted floor. “Hang on, I gotta shut the door so my dad doesn't hear.”

The seraph shook his head, holding one hand up to stop her. “I'll do it. I can move more quietly than you can.”

“You did make the door creak before, you know!” Rose whispered in a harsher tone as he moved away from her, his footfalls practically non-existent. “Just don't close it too slowly or it'll make a noise, again!”

As the door closed, thankfully without any noise aside from the soft click of the latch, Rose turned on her bedside lamp to get a better look at her seraphic visitor. He reminded her of the kind of kid that liked to keep to himself at school, sort of the lone wolf sort, with all the dark clothing and what her friends might call “emo hair.” It made Rose wonder how he'd chosen his clothing and where he'd gotten it all from. Maybe from one of the kids who lived in the house before? Though if that was true, why were human-made clothes just as invisible as the rest of him? Oh, and his teeth! They were strangely pointed, almost like that of a shark, but why? So many questions!

Though Rose supposed, maybe she should start with the biggest questions, first.

“So...what's your name, anyway?”

“Dezel.” He stuffed both hands in his jacket pockets as he walked back over to the bed. “And I know yours, already.”

“Yeah.” Rose frowned, finding that a little awkward since it meant that he had been listening in on conversations for quite a while, most likely. But the feeling passed quickly enough as she remembered the other important question she wanted to ask. Picking up the Valentine's Day card from her bedside table, she held it up. “Dezel, can I ask why you brought this back to me? Didn't you like it...?”

Dezel hunched his shoulders up at the question, mouth quirking in a sheepish frown while his cheeks took on a hint of pink. “That's actually why I brought it here. I...I can't read it.”

Rose blinked in confusion. “What do you mean? Don't you know how to read?”

“I do! I mean... I did.” His initial response a little louder than intended, apparently, he glanced away. It was just a good thing that Brad would be unable to hear him no matter how loud he got. “I just can't now because I'm blind.”

“You're not blind! How can you be? How'd you find your way here or anywhere else around the house if that's true!” It was a real effort for Rose to keep her own voice down at that point. What he was suggesting just seemed so preposterous.

“I am blind! I lost my sight when...” Dezel trailed off. He seemed to be struggling with what to say. When he managed to continue, his voice was lower. Quieter. “I lost my sight when my family here died. When my big brother died with them. It was the last thing I ever saw. Now I find my way around through the wind since I'm a wind seraph. It's not the same as seeing, but it helps. It also means I can't read anymore, though. The wind can tell me how things are shaped and where they are and what color they are, but most writing is too small to read.”

“Oh...” Suddenly floundering about in guilt and regret, Rose shifted her gaze to the card in her hand. “Sorry."

Dezel hunched his shoulders again as though trying to shrug off the awkwardness. “Whatever, you didn't know. You can even look at my eyes if you want, if you don't believe me, still.”

By that point, Rose found that while she mostly believed him, the chance to actually see the rest of his face was a little too tempting to pass up. Standing up, she closed the gap between them and hesitantly reached up with her free hand, pausing with her fingers just shy of his bangs. The thought that she was about to touch a spiritual being occurred to her and she wondered if his hair would feel any different from hers. Carefully, she brushed the thick locks of green-tinted strands aside, which really didn't feel all that different from human hair. Beneath was a pair of near-colorless eyes, their pupils clouded over in gray. Between them, over the bridge of his nose, was what looked like a faded scar.

“Your eyes... They don't have any color,” she said softly before taking her hand back. “And you have a scar. Is that...?”

“Where I got hit? Yeah...” He reached up with one hand to comb his fingers through his bangs until they fell back into place again. “My family and my big brother, Lafarga, got killed by hellions while we were all away on a trip out of town. One of them hit me hard across the eyes and blinded me, but I got away because Lafarga distracted it.”

“Hellions?” Rose echoed. She'd never heard the term before.

“Corrupted humans or animals or even seraphim. Monsters, really. Ones that regular humans can't see. They're responsible for some natural disasters and accidents, and they especially like attacking seraphim and resonant humans.”

“Your whole family was like that, then. Resonant, right? So what happened after you got away?”

Dezel was silent for several seconds and Rose felt her throat tighten a fraction. She was suddenly sorry she'd asked. But before she could apologize, Dezel managed to speak, though his voice was little more than a sad mumble.

“I...I stayed with them. 'Til they were found. Followed the emergency crews when the bodies were taken. I was there at the funeral. Then I found my way back here again and haven't gone anywhere else since then.”

“And it's been like six months since Dad and I moved in here so...it's been a long time since you've been by yourself.”

He nodded and Rose felt another painful pang in the pit of her stomach, though this time it was more out of sympathy than anything else.

“Can I ask just one more question about what happened?” Rose managed after a moment, waiting for Dezel to nod before she continued. “You said Mayvin can see you too, so how did he not know you were here all this time?”

“I've been hiding from him because I didn't want his pity. He knew about me and Lafarga before, but I bet he thought the hellions got us both. Or maybe that if they didn't, that we left to find somewhere else to stay.”

So Mayvin had known and that's probably why he'd been calling around upstairs when he checked the house. Why the old man hadn't been more forthright, Rose wasn't sure, but she didn't think she could be entirely upset about it, either. It sounded like Dezel had been through a lot and if she had tried to force him to come out of hiding, it might not have gone over all that well.

“I guess when he went up into the attic, he told you I'd seen you in the window,” Rose said thoughtfully. “Sneaky old man.”

“Huh, yeah he did. Probably hoping it'd get me out of hiding.”

“Well, it did kinda work, didn't it?”

“Yeah, guess it did.” Dezel shrugged. “So are you gonna tell me what the card says or not...?”

Oh, right, the card! Rose had almost forgotten about it in the middle of their conversation. “Yeah, sure. Do you wanna sit down while I read it to you?”

“I guess.”

Taking a seat on the edge of her bed, Rose patted the spot beside her. After a moment of hesitation, Dezel sat down on her left, leaving a little space between them so as not to crowd her. As Rose opened the card, he glanced in that direction despite his blindness. Maybe out of habit? Rose couldn't be sure, but it would probably be rude to point it out.

“It says, 'Dear seraph in the attic',” Rose began, pausing briefly as the weight of having to read her own writing to its recipient suddenly hit her, causing her cheeks to flush pink. “'Since you've been alone for a while, here's a Valentine's Day card for you and some chocolate. I hope you like them and that we can be friends. PS: I'll bring you some cookies later.'” She glanced up from the card. “So did you like the chocolates? I got them from friends at school.”

“Yeah, they were good.” The words were mumbled out as Dezel took the offered card back, holding it in both hands in his lap. “It's been a long time since I've had food, so...you know.”

Rose blinked at him in surprise. “A long time? How long? Don't seraphim need to eat?”

“Not like humans or animals do. But a lot of us like to eat. It's nice when we can. My family from before used to give us food as offerings a lot. Sometimes wine or beer for Lafarga and expensive candy for me. When they had holiday meals, they'd have plates of food out for us, too. Sometimes even toys when I was younger or clothes.” His voice was wavering and he paused to turn away and wipe one of his eyes with the back of a hand. When he spoke again, his voice was so small, Rose barely heard it. “...I miss them. I miss my brother.”

“I'm sorry. They sound like they really cared about you.” Not sure what else to do, Rose set a hand on his shoulder.

Though he flinched beneath her touch, Dezel didn't pull away. Rather, he just seemed to curl in on himself a little more, head turned to hide the tears that were starting to slide down the sides of his face. “They did! And I...I didn't want another family here, other humans who wouldn't care like they did!”

“So you made noise to make people think the house was haunted.” 

He nodded but said nothing more, focused instead on trying to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

“You know, I'm not saying that me and my Dad are here trying to replace your old family, but maybe we could work on being your new one?” Rose went on hesitantly. “Since I can see you, that'd make it less awkward than a family who wouldn't even know you're around. And I can still bring you the cookies I promised and I'm sure my dad would be okay with leaving you food, too. He's a pretty good cook, you know. Plus I don't think he's totally decided about what to do with the attic, so maybe I can talk him into leaving it like it is! And that could be your room.”

“I think...maybe I’d like that.” His voice was small and his words halting, but it was a lot to take in. After all, there weren’t a whole lot of other choices aside from that, save from either Dezel leaving and finding another place to call home, or Rose and Brad moving out. “I like it here. I don’t want to leave, yet. Even if I do eventually wanna find the hellion who ruined everything and get rid of it.”

“Is that something you can really do by yourself…?”

“Definitely not right now, not until I’m stronger! But eventually...I think I can.”

The thought of Dezel running off to fight some murderous monster on his own was a disturbing one,  
especially since it had managed to kill five humans and an older seraph. Hopefully, in the long run, Rose could talk her new friend out of that or at least find a way to help him.

“But for now, you’ll stay, right? And be part of our family, here?” she asked, hoping to keep the conversation moving in a more positive direction. “If you want, you can even spend the night here in my room! It’s not like my Dad would even know.”

Dezel shifted where he sat, turning back toward Rose a little more, his long bangs failing to completely hide his surprise. “You want me to stay here, in your room? You sure about that?”

“Sure, why not? It could be like a sleepover! My bed’s definitely big enough for both of us.”

“I don't usually sleep in a bed.” He was fidgeting with the hem of his jacket, blind gaze somewhat lowered. “When I do sleep, anyway. Seraphim don't need to sleep like humans.”

“So where do you sleep? You're not sleeping on the floor, are you?”

“No, in my vessel. It's up in the attic.”

Rose frowned in confusion, her nose wrinkling a little. “A vessel? What's that and how do you sleep inside it? Is it like a sleeping bag?”

“No,” Dezel huffed, “It's an object. Or sometimes a person or an animal that's okay with being a vessel. Seraphim don't have bodies like humans because we're like spirits. Our power lets us have bodies, but we can sort of...unmake our bodies to go inside objects and then remake them when we come back out. It's like, uh... Like an ice cube melting into water and being poured into a cup.”

Eyes widening, Rose barely managed to resist the urge to poke at Dezel's shoulder, as though to re-confirm that he currently did have a physical form. “Whoa! So you're like ghosts but not actually ghosts. Does it hurt when you unmake your body?”

“No. It's just a thing we can do. Like how you move your arm or your leg. We just...do it.”

“That's so cool! Can you show me sometime?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Cheeks flushing pink again, Dezel glanced away in mild embarrassment, possibly not sure how to take the compliment. “But anyway, that's how I usually sleep, so I don't really need to use a bed.”

“But that doesn't mean you can't use a bed, right?”

“I could if I wanted.”

“Do you want to?” Rose finally gave in to the urge to poke lightly at Dezel's shoulder, causing him to flinch a little before he covered the spot with one hand protectively. “My bed's really comfy and warm, and since tomorrow's Saturday, we're gonna have cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I could bring one up here for you.”

“That does sound nice...” He trailed off as he rubbed at his shoulder, then slid off the bed and onto his feet. “I wanna go check on the attic before bed, though. Make sure I remembered to close the door all the way.”

“That's fine! And maybe you can bring your vessel back with you? I wanna see what it looks like!”

Dezel's cheeks flushed a deeper pink, his mouth opening once, closing, and then opening again before he managed to find words for a response. “I...I don't have to have it here with me. It's fine to leave it in the attic for right now.”

“Aww, can you at least tell me what it is?” Rose put on her best pouting face, hoping maybe that would do the trick.

“It's...just something that belonged to Silva, my family's youngest kid.”

“Yeah? Something important?”

A nod. “Something he had since he was little. Lafarga wanted me to use it as a vessel so I could be close to him all the time. You know, grow up with him.”

“So like a toy, maybe? Or a baby blanket?” Rose couldn't help but smile a bit. “That'd be pretty cute, actually.”

Dezel's flushed cheeks darkened further in embarrassment as he turned to walk to the door. “Not a blanket. Or clothing. Sort of a toy.”

“Bring it back with you? I promise I won't laugh!”

He grunted quietly as he reached the door, then opened it before slipping through and vanishing silently into the hallway. Once Dezel had gone, Rose placed the Valentine's Day card on the bedside table and went about the business of fluffing up the pillows on her bed and arranging the sheets somewhat. She had a full-sized mattress, which was large enough to share with someone, especially another kid who wasn't too much larger than her. With its deep magenta sheets and a white quilt over top, decorated with red rose patterns, it was a cozy place to be especially during the winter months.

When Dezel returned a few minutes later, carefully clicking the door shut behind him, there was something gray tucked under one of his arms. Sitting up in bed, Rose watched as he shed his shoes by the door, then walked over to sit the object on the bed. His face was still flushed out of embarrassment, but Rose couldn't be more delighted when she realized what he'd brought with him.

It was a stuffed animal, specifically a wolf. Designed to sit up like a teddy bear, it was mostly gray with a white underbelly, its realistic eyes a pretty golden yellow in color. It looked like it definitely seen some use over the years, probably hauled back and forth between home and school, in and out of the car, to and from friends' houses, but still clean and with all its stitching still holding.

“It's so cute!” Rose cooed with a smile, much to Dezel's further embarrassment. If he turned any redder about the cheeks, he'd be about the same color as the bedsheets. “Can I hold it?”

“Sure, I guess.” Turning away to hide his face, Dezel busied himself with removing his jacket. “And just so you know, my vessel isn't actually the stuffed wolf, it's what's inside it. Silva's mother made it when he was little and put a pendulum inside of it made out of green aventurine, which is my actual vessel. The wolf plushie just keeps it safe so it doesn't get lost easily.”

“Aventurine?” Rose echoed as she picked up the wolf. “And what's a pendulum?”

“It's a weight on a string or a chain that you can swing back and forth. Aventurine's just a kind of rock. I think maybe quartz.”

“Oh. What do you use a weight on a string for?”

Dezel sighed as he got up on the bed beside Rose, sitting cross-legged. “Do you ever run out of questions?”

“Sometimes, but I'm just curious, okay? This is so weird and different and new, but kinda neat, too.”

“Mn. You can use a pendulum for something called dowsing. It's a spiritual energy thing that helps with direction or finding things. Like if you're trying to find where to dig for water. We wind seraphim can also use them as weapons.”

“I guess that's why a pendulum makes a good vessel for you, huh?” Rose set the stuffed wolf in her lap and prodded its white-furred tummy where she imagined the pendulum was hidden. “This wolf really is cute, though. Does he have a name?”

“Yeah, but you're gonna laugh if I tell you.”

“You don't know that for sure!”

“It's a silly name. Something Silva called it when he was little because he had trouble saying 'wolf' right.”

“I bet it's a really cute name!” 

The corner of Dezel's mouth twitched. Perhaps he was up to the point of regretting the decision to stay but even if so, he also wasn't making any attempts to take the stuffed toy back or retreat from the room. Holding the wolf in her lap, Rose rested her chin on its head and waited expectantly, trying to give Dezel her best adorable, pleading expression. Could he tell what she was doing through the wind? Rose wasn't sure, but it was worth a try!

“Fine,” he sighed after several seconds of awkward silence. “It's 'Mister Wuffles'.”

Rose couldn't help but giggle a little. “'Mister Wuffles'? That is really silly, but it's also super cute. I like it!”

Dezel made a soft sound, an almost laugh of sorts, his mouth curving faintly in a smile. “Guess I can say I'm glad. Don't think I could change its name after so long.”

It was then that Rose knew that, sooner or later, she wanted to make Dezel laugh. Something more substantial and outright happy than these small sounds he seemed to make when even somewhat amused. Perhaps during the last several lonely months, he'd just forgotten what it was like to be happy. Hopefully, being a part of a family again would help fix that.

“We should probably go to sleep,” he suggested, laying down on his side with his head on one pillow. “It's late and your dad's gonna know you didn't sleep much if you're tired in the morning.”

“I still have so many questions, though!” Rose pouted, even as she lay down on her side to face him, the wolf plushie still in her arms.

“It's not like I'm going anywhere, so you can ask me later.”

“Can you at least tell me why you have teeth like a shark?”

He smirked. “It's just the way I am. Seraphim usually have bodies that match their personalities.”

“How does having sharp teeth match a personality, though?” Rose asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Did you used to bite people when you were younger?”

“Lafarga said I did.”

“You don't still bite, do you?”

“Not unless I gotta.”

Rose hugged the stuffed wolf up closer so that its head was tucked under her chin again, a stray strand of worry tugging at her. “You wouldn't bite me, would you?”

“No.” Dezel sat up long enough to reach over and turn the lamp on the bedside table off. As he lay down again, the two of them working to pull the sheets and quilt up over themselves, he briefly set one hand on the top of Rose's head. “You have Mr. Wuffles now, so I gotta protect you, not bite you.”

“You make it sound like having him is like having the lamp for a genie!”

“Well, the pendulum wasn't supposed to stay inside Mr. Wuffles forever, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

Sighing quietly, Dezel sank further into the pillow as he snuggled down against the mattress. His expression was hard to make out with so little light in the room, but while he looked and sounded tired, he also seemed relieved to be somewhere comfortable. Still, the sad note in his voice remained as he answered. “When Silva got old enough, we were going to take the pendulum  
out so he could wear it like a necklace. We played together all the time. He was like a little brother...”

“Oh...”

In the silence that fell between them, Rose thought she could hear the sound of Dezel's breathing becoming somewhat erratic again; he sniffled quietly against the pillow, trying not to betray his state of grief. On a whim, she scooted closer to him beneath the covers, allowing the stuffed wolf to remain between them as she tried to get an arm around him. At first, he resisted a little, but a little petting against his arm on her part eventually got him to slide up closer to where he also got an arm around her, draped over her waist. With his head tucked beneath her chin, he allowed her to continue petting him gently. Admittedly, Rose didn't entirely know what she was doing, but given Brad had stroked her hair and her back in times past when she'd been upset, it seemed the right way to assuage hurt, even if only a little.

“I feel stupid,” Dezel whispered after a prolonged silence, his tears evident in the way his voice wavered. “I shouldn't be crying like this, especially since I'm older than you.”

Rose didn't respond right away, quiet for once while she mulled that over. “Grown-ups cry once in a while too, don't they? Everyone gets sad once in a while. Especially when people die.”

He nodded and drew in a shuddering breath. “Yeah, I guess...”

“You know, if you don't want me to keep Mr. Wuffles...”

“No, I want you to keep him. You're nice. Like I hoped you would be. I'm just tired of being by myself. Being alone, it hurts...a lot...”

“I'll keep him safe then, I promise. That way I'll keep you safe, too.”

“Okay. And I promise to look after you, too.” He hugged her tighter, fingers curling into the fabric of her pajamas against her back. “We'll look after each other.”

“Yeah, we will...”

Slowly, Dezel's breathing evened out. As he finally began to drift off, Rose slipped down into a deep, warm slumber, one that exhaustion held her to until well after sunrise.

* * *

It was nearly nine o'clock the following morning when Rose made her way back up to her room, having snitched an extra cinnamon roll from the kitchen. She carried it on a small paper plate, a glass of milk in her other hand. Brad, unfortunately, had to go to work for part of the day, so he was showering and getting dressed as Rose stole up to her room with breakfast for her new friend. Sneaking just the glass back down to the kitchen after would be a cinch, so long as she waited until after her father had left the house. She figured she could hold off until after he got home later to have a discussion about their new housemate, and then maybe they could figure out how to better integrate Dezel into their family life so he didn't feel left out.

Dezel was sitting on the floor by the bed when Rose entered her room, having just finished pulling his sneakers back on. As he glanced up, attention suddenly fixated on the plate holding the still-warm pastry, it was difficult not to notice the anticipation in his expression. Grinning, Rose nudged the door shut behind her and walked over to sit the plate and glass down in front of him.

“Ta-da, there you go! It's even still warm!” she announced before sitting down alongside him. “My Dad's getting ready for work right now, so I was able to sneak that up here without him knowing.”

“Thanks...” Though the half-mumbled word of appreciation seemed to lack enthusiasm, Dezel was eager to snap the plate up and start picking the roll apart with his fingers. Still, he managed to avoid devouring it in a rush, intent on savoring the cinnamon roll bit by bit and only pausing a couple of times for a sip or two of milk to wash it down. “This is really good.”

“Glad you like it! And I think Dad's gonna be gone until like, two o'clock, maybe? I'll ask him before he leaves. But that also means we can have lunch together in the kitchen if you want! We could make peanut and jelly sandwiches.”

“I'd like that.”

Once Dezel was about done eating, Rose got up to pick out some clothes and then went out to the bathroom in the hallway to change. When she returned about ten minutes later, she found Dezel sitting on her bed with Mr. Wuffles in his lap, his blind gaze on the stuffed toy while he felt over its fuzzy ears with his fingers. The empty glass of milk sat on the used paper plate on the floor near the door.

“...so do you really think your dad's gonna be okay with all this?” he asked as Rose pushed the door mostly shut. “He seemed kinda unsure last night about me even existing.”

“He'll have to be since you shouldn't have to leave after everything that's happened. Besides, I bet we can get old man Mayvin to put in a good word for you, too!” Walking over to the bed, Rose plopped down alongside Dezel. “You shouldn't worry so much. Everything's gonna be fine.”

“Huh, guess it's hard not to worry after...everything. Especially since finding resonant humans isn't usually so easy. I just...wanna belong somewhere.”

“You do, okay? You belong here, with me and my dad. We made promises, after all!”

Though it was faint and a little shaky, Dezel managed something of a smile. “You're right, we did.” Setting Mr. Wuffles aside, he stood up and glanced around. “Oh, hey, where's that card from yesterday?”

“The Valentine's Day card I made for you?” Glancing in the direction of her bedside table and seeing it beside the lamp, Rose leaned over and grabbed it up before holding it out in Dezel's direction. “Here you go! I'm sorta surprised you still want it, though, since you can't read it.”

“Doesn't matter if I can or can't, it's mine, right? I wanna keep it.” Taking the offered card, Dezel slipped it inside one jacket pocket. “I'll put it with my other stuff in the attic where it'll be safe.”

“Do you wanna take Mr. Wuffles back up there, too?” Rose picked up the stuffed wolf and held that out toward Dezel as well.

Smiling broadening just a fraction as he turned away, Dezel shook his head. “Nah, remember what I said last night? You have him, now, and as long as I can stay here, you can hang onto him. Think of him as my Valentine to you, if you want.”

Rose watched as Dezel slipped out the door and vanished into the hallway before she let her gaze drop down to the plush toy in her hands – the stuffed wolf that held Dezel's vessel in its chest, like a little heart made of green stone. Years down the road, when she was actually more grown up and interested in researching such things, Rose would learn that aventurine was supposed to promote healing of the heart, inner harmony, and luck. But even by that point, she would suppose that she had always known that from the moment Dezel came into her life and placed his vessel – a representation of his heart – in her hands. It was healing for him, good fortune for her, and harmony for them both. Something that would become even more apparent when sometime after that, she would agree to become his vessel in its place and take him fully into her own heart and soul.

But for the moment, it was his Valentine's Day gift to her. Something so wonderfully precious given in exchange for a simple, heart-shaped paper card covered in glitter and a little trust.


End file.
